A) Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a device for the simultaneous delivery of beta 2 agonists and oxygen to a patient.
B) Brief Description of Prior Art
Oxygen and beta 2 agonists are two basic medications for treating asthma in an emergency room. Usually, oxygen is administered directly to the patient through a mouthpiece or a face mask while beta 2 agonists are administered in the patient's throat with a metered dose inhaler. When the beta 2 agonists are administered, the mouthpiece or face mask must be removed, thereby reducing the efficiency of the treatement, specifically, maintaining normoxia.
Recently, it has been shown that beta 2 agonist administration is particularly effective when a metered dose inhaler is used in conjunction with a spacer, like the one sold by Trudell Medical, London, Ontario, Canada under the trade mark Aerochamber. However, the inability to deliver oxygen while using a metered dose inhaler with a spacer has been criticized. The present invention offers the possibility of administering beta 2 agonists and oxygen simultaneously, through a set of tubes connected to and in open communication with a spacer.